The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-04-26
Gazette's Hilo Letter.
THE BOOM.


EDITOR GAZETTE: The railroad surveyors
have located themselves in the "Alhambra,' -
on the corner of Front and Church streets,
and are busy at work on the preliminary
survey. They have already advanced out
into the country as far as Waiuaku, and are
pushing the work along as fast as possible.
1t is expected that the survey will be COM
pleted in about a month, when MIR. Gribble
will return to England to make his report to
the syndicate who are to advance the money
Mr.. Wilder, in the meantime, is making all
preparations for securing supplies, so that,
Immediately on notification that the syndi-
cate approve of the scheme: material will be
forthcoming, and the work pushed rapidly to
completion. or course Hilo people antici-
pate boom in everything that the railway
is assured, and already it has struck the
town, IS is apparent from the more frequent
transfer of real estate but few would believe
that it has struck il so hard as to have one of
its landowners ask 800 square foot for
land because the railway will run over about
forty feet of it. This individual has large
lot, but his magnanimity and public spirit
compel him to let Mr.. Wilder have forty feet
of it for only 500 square foot. If hopes
such as these were realized, our citizens
would soon become wealthy. How some of
the poor landowners throughout the district
who have in ignorance set their minds on
getting gilt-edged prices for their lands, now
that we have railway in prospect, will be
disappointed when appraisers are sent
through and their land appreciated at its
market value, and their fancy bonanza peters
out Others, from business scruples and
public spirit, have, without consideration, of
fered right of way. From the public spirit
displayed by the intelligent owners of prop
erty, Mr.. Wilder will have very little diff
Guilty throughout the district in securing his
road-bed.
great number of Portuguese are settling
in town, principally tradesmen, who since
their contracts to plantations have expired,
have come into town and built small shops
on leased land on the principal streets, and
are conducting little business in them. But
the beauty of the principal residential streets
of the town is in fair way of being spoiled
by the small Portuguese dwellings that are
springlng up everywhere. Waianaenue av-
enue, the pride of Hilo, from its thoroughly
tropical appearance, has had two of these
misunderstanding shanties stuck right in its
central portion. These, as long as they re-
main, will materially detract from its ap-
pearance, and then there is the unweIcome
prospect that more may yet be built,
WATER WORKS.
Mr.. Wilder has proposed for Hilo system
of water works. lie intends to work all his
machinery at the wharves and warehouses at
Waiahea. which will soon be built, by hy-
draullc power. In order to do this, he will
build large storage reservoirs above the
town, and convey the water down through
the town to Waiakea. If sufficient number
of subscribers will take water to make it an
object. he will lay mains through the princi-
pal streets of the town, and supply it with
water. This will be boon to the people
which they ought certainly to fully appreci-
ate. The water used at present, and par
ticularly in the lower parts, is vile, and unfit
for cooking or drinking, running, as it does,
along the streets, through back yards, and
many very questionable places, drawing
more impurity each additional foot it travels.
And SO the march of improvements keeps
on. The evening of the day that hailed the
arrival of the Hon. S. g. Wilder and his
corps of surveyors to commence operation on
the railway, saw street lamps first lighted in
Hilo. This was on Thursday, the l4th
instant. With such wealth of vater-power
as We have back of US, we expect ere long to
see our town, outside and inside. lighted
with electricity. This could be done SO
cheaply that 1t will be a profitable under
taking as soon as the town increases in
population.
ToUNG's AUTOMATIC CLEANER.
Several prominent planters Of the Islands
we're here last week inspecting Young's
Alternating Swimming pan at Waiakea. and
we're much pleased with its working. One